Titus 3:9
But avoid
foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law,
because these are unprofitable and useless.
We
have been programmed to be crisis focused. All you have to do is pick up the
newspaper or turn on the evening news. Guaranteed, the first thing you will encounter
is the latest crisis. It may focus on social unrest, or economic woes, or the
latest health scare, or international intrigue. It is presented in such a way
as to stir up our emotions and get us either agitated, excited, or fearful.
The
media focuses on these things because they boost ratings and sell newspapers. But
there is another group of people who grab the headlines and run wild with them.
They are the conspiracy theorists. They can take any bit of information and transform
it into a sinister plot to undermine our society and to enslave us all. BEWARE,
BEWARE, our world is falling apart!!!!!
It
is hard not to get caught up in this negative spin. Although we may not buy
into the latest conspiracy, we too often become focused on the latest crisis.
Larry Osborne, in his book Thriving in Babylon, calls this crisis du
jour.
“Audience ratings
are the lifeblood of the media, whether Christian or secular. Without listeners
and readers there would be no advertising revenue, no product sales, and no
donations. So it should come as no surprise that gaining and maintaining
significant market share is an underlying consideration in everything the media
does.”
“Unfortunately,
this creates enormous pressure to keep your audience fully engaged. Thus the
constant emphasis on the latest crisis du jour. Panic and fear sell. They’re
riveting and keep listeners and readers coming back for more. They don’t want
to miss anything.”
“Frankly, the
media and most ministry fund-raisers need a crisis to motivate people to
watch, listen, and give. If they don’t have one, they’ll create on. And if all
they have is a small one, they’ll make it into a big one.”
(Thriving in
Babylon, page 111)
I understand
the allure. As a pastor, I have often felt the most energized when there was a
crisis to manage, rather than when everything was going along smoothly. A good
crisis captures our attention and get our juices flowing.
There
are several dangers of falling into the trap of being crisis centered. First,
being crisis centered causes is to live in fear. This kind of fear is one of
the ways that Satan keeps Christians off balance. Fear dominates us and often
immobilizes us. Panic is never good. That is one reason why we are commanded
over and over again in the Bible to not fear. Fear takes our eyes off of God
and puts them on the current crisis.
Joshua
was facing his own crisis du jour. He was given the overwhelming task of
leading the people of Israel into the Promised Land. He knew that once he
crossed the Jordan River, he would be faced by a formidable foe. But God
challenged him to take his eyes off of the crisis and put them squarely on God.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do
not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:9)
Another
danger we face when we become crisis centered is that we become calloused. Our hearts
become hard and we lose our compassion. Sociologists call this compassion
fatigue. We just stop caring. We can become cynical and begin to shut out all
cries for help. Instead of taking a clear honest look at things, we dismiss
them out of hand.
The
greatest danger of buying into the crisis du jour is that it takes our eyes off
of Christ. We forget that He is ultimately in control. Our lives are secure in
Him, no matter what our current circumstances may be.
The
Apostle Paul was constantly faced with one crisis after another. As he traveled
from town to town preaching the Gospel, he faced opposition and hardship at
every turn. Although many people came to faith in Christ, many also turned against
Paul, sometimes in violent ways. Paul was stoned, beaten, thrown into prison. Yet
through it all, Paul kept his eyes firmly fixed on Jesus.
Therefore
we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are
being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving
for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on
what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is
unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
Paul
was confident in the truth that through Christ he had already won the victory.
And we have as well, if we have placed our faith in Jesus. We can be honest
about the various crises that we face, but we don’t have to be overwhelmed by
them. We can approach the crisis du jour from an eternal perspective.
There
are significant issues that need our attention. We have an obligation to do our
part to foster justice and peace in our world. But ultimately, the crises of
today will pass away. What really matters is investing in what will last for
all of eternity. If we want to really make a difference in our world, we need to
shift our focus from being crisis centered to being Christ centered.
Hebrews 12:2-3
Let us fix our
eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set
before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful
men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
******
I highly recommend Larry Osborne's book, Thriving in Babylon. It is essentially timely.
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